
oldsmobile-digest          Friday, 12 April 1996       Volume 01 : Number 145


----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: johnspr@ix.netcom.com (JOHN PRESTON )
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 08:50:00 -0300
Subject: Re: Need steering box help...

You wrote: 
>
>I just rebuilt a 12.7:1 quick ratio steering box for my 79 Cutlass.  
After I
>installed it, it seems to have a slight resistance when initially 
turning the
>wheel to the left.  After it encounters the resistance, it turns the 
rest of
>the way fine.  It turns to the right with no problem.  I have played 
with the
>adjustment and also jacked up the front and turned the wheels lock to 
lock
>many times to bleed all the air out of the system.
>
>Any suggestions??????    Tom Millard OLDSPWR@aol.com
>
>
Sounds like you may have set the backlash off center.  The point of 
resistance you describe is likely the actual dead center position for 
the box.  Did you remove & replace the steering wheel such that the 
mark on the wheel and post align?  If not, what you think is dead 
center is actually slightly **off** center.

I think the procedure for backlash calls for disconnecting the pitman 
arm from the steering linkage and rotating the steering wheel through 
dead center using a pull gauge while looking for a certain reading on 
the pull gauge.

Hope this helps.

------------------------------

From: proietto@dow.on.doe.ca (Proietto, F.)
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 19:18:43 -0300
Subject: Re: Last post on HEI (promise)

>
>Well went and bought a Mallory Unilite mechanical advance dist from Stupor 
Shops
>last night. Before I put this thing on and ruin any chance I have to return or
>exchange it, is there any problems that anyone can think of that I might find
>by switching from a vac/mech advance stock points dist to a purely mech advance
>HEI? I wonder about idle overheating with a/c on. They had me buy an in-line
>resistor for the ignition wire to dist connection. I guess that my stock wiring
>for a points system wouldn't have this already in place huh? One last question.
>How hard is it to remove the oil pump drive rod from the old dist and 
install it
>into the new. Is it pressed in. Thanks a lot guys!
>
> Pat Clark
>  69 442
>  400/400
>
>   "Just your average 300+hp garage hogging, gas sucking, money pit"
>
>

Pat the only thing I can think that might give some difficulty is pulling 
the dist from the engine. Many times the oil rod sometimes becomes stuck in 
the dist drive. Mine has an octagonal shape rod that fits into the same 
shape drive. With use the rod becomes worn and begins to turn in the dist 
drive jamming itself. Pulling it out in this case may prove to be difficult. 
I know it happened to me. The worse part of it is that the rod it held in 
place with a special washer that is compressed on to the rod. When the rod 
is inserted throgh the oil pump drive the washer stops it from going 
completely through. Pulling the dist out in a sense acts on the rod itself. 
The washer is suppose to limit the rod travels and prevent it from being 
pulled out as well. But if the rod is stuck then you may have to pull on it 
harder. In my case I had to pull the dist out with the rod still in the dist 
drive. In fact the washer, with all the pulling I did slipped off, letting 
the rod out of the oil drive. 

It's not such a bad thing except that the wash now sits in my oil pan. When 
you install the dist you first have to install the oil rod. You will need 
long nose pliers to install it. A little fooling around to insert it but 
eventually it will fit. In any case I hope this does not happen to you. But 
don't let this dicourage you in any way. Change the unit and notice the 
difference. Remember install the re-curve kit unless it already has one. 
Have fun.

Regards
Fernando Proietto

------------------------------

From: Mike Frederick <edison3@cpeq.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 00:59:17 -0300
Subject: Re: Confession

BobH592058@aol.com wrote:

> Could this mean I am a CARRIER!
> 

You already showing signs.  One one cure.     :)

The 66 Toro and Mike

- -- 
Michael R. Frederick, CEO
Edison3, Incorporated
Tampa, Florida
(813) 210-8649

------------------------------

From: Mike Frederick <edison3@cpeq.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 01:59:08 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

David Paulison wrote:
> 
> The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...

Probably not a short and probably not the altenator (if the car is 
charging ok).  

Most times I've had this type of problem, it's turned out to be a 
bad ground (battery negative).  Most cars depend on the attachment of the 
various pieces for a good ground.  Usually only the block has a large 
grounding strap attached to it.  In older cars, as rust and other goo get 
between the body panels, body mounts, etc. the ground goes to hell.  Ever 
see one of those guys whose taillights do wierd things when he steps on 
the brake?

Check all obvious grounding points: alternator, block, strap, battery 
cables.  You can also use jumper cables from teh battery negative to the 
dash frame (or any other body ground) to see if the lights go right.

Good luck.

The 66 Toro and Mike


- -- 
Michael R. Frederick, CEO
Edison3, Incorporated
Tampa, Florida
(813) 210-8649

------------------------------

From: lawrencr@kostabi.gdls.com (Robert Lawrence)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 11:56:55 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

>Here's another thing.  The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...I'd say it's
>about half lit.  It started doing it a month or two after I replaced the
>alternator.  It is a constant thing, not intermittent.  Also, when I put on
>the emergency brake on, and the "BRAKE" light comes on, the "GEN" light
>glows brighter than with the brake off.  Any ideas?  I thought maybe a short
>in the wiring harness or something, but I dread the thought of trying to
>track it down...

>Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
>dpauliso@metrolink.net


Well, someone has to suggest the obvious... loose belt?

Melbourne, Florida!  Hey, a picture of my car is on the wall of Rooney's, in 
Palm Bay.  I snuck in with a picture and a drill one day.  Heh, heh...

It was still there when I stopped in, two weeks ago.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Lawrence   | 1970 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible
lawrencr@gdls.com |  ________,~-,____________\___________
(810) 825-8007    |  |               |    ~|       ___   |
                  |  ------(-o-)------------------( o )---  

------------------------------

From: "David Brown" <dbrown@mcis.bsd.uchicago.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:31:28 -0300
Subject: Re[2]: tranny & heads 

Tranny slipping cold, works great when warm, hot:  Usually means fluid level is 
a little low.  Check the fluid level using the 20 minute run around town, park 
on level surface, shift into each gear (R, N, [OD], D, L2, L1), hold for 15 
seconds, remove stick, wipe, reinsert, remove, check.

Brake fluid: I wouldn't, but if you insist, put in maybe an ounce at a time, 
drive it 50 miles to test before adding more.

Good luck!

David Brown
dbrown@mcis.bsd.uchicago.edu    (312) 702-9157
"Oldsmobile - powerful roadsters with big V8s"

------------------------------

From: MIKE COCCAGNA <mikec@kis.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:50:56 -0300
Subject: Re: 91 bravada

> my father has a 91 bravada, with the V6 4.3L...is there anything to do to
> get more power out of this...with all of the computer crap finding another
> engine for more power is tough...    
>                     zack

I think I saw stuff for the c*evy 4.3 in the latest GM Performance 
Parts catalog, but I don't have it handy to check.  You can also go 
to a parts shop and check for a HyperChip.....

Mike 
'91 W-40 Quad442

------------------------------

From: "Tom Lentz" <tlentz@teknon.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 04:35:40 -0300
Subject: Re[2]: Olds FAQ 

     Also how about prepping a car for long term storage?  I've never had 
     to store a car, but when you store boats for the winter the marina 
     sells an "engine fogger" which appears to just be a light oil.  You 
     spray it into the carb while the engine is running and it kills the 
     engine and coats the cylinder walls, then you shut it off and leave 
     it.  I'm sure this could be applied to cars.
     
     Tom L.

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Olds FAQ
Author:  oldsmobile@ccn.cs.dal.ca at INTERNET
Date:    4/10/96 7:05 PM


In a message dated 96-04-10 16:13:50 EDT, you write:
     
>DD. APPLICABLE TO ALL VEHICLES
     
One item that it might be of interest to add here is advice/procedures for 
starting a car that has been sitting for a long while. I don't know if we've 
discussed this here or not, though they did on the r.a.tech list.
     
     

------------------------------

From: "Tom Lentz" <tlentz@teknon.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 04:35:47 -0300
Subject: Re: Champion Spark Plugs 

     I don't have any experience with Champions, other than my dad used to 
     swear by them when I was waaay too young to drive.  I think he uses AC 
     now, which is what I use.  I've used NGK's with good luck too.
     
     I've had some bad experiences with the Autolites.  They work just 
     fine, and seem to have a decent lifespan, but they kept breaking on 
     me!  I've had two insulators break (the side outside the cylinder head 
     fortunately) and one just fall in half.
     
     I'm trying to get up the guts to try out a set of AC Rapidfire's.  
     Anyone use 'em?

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Champion Spark Plugs
Author:  oldsmobile@ccn.cs.dal.ca at INTERNET
Date:    4/10/96 7:05 PM


Andrew, et al:
     
My only experience with Champions was with my first car. A 1962 283cid C**vie 
Impala. At the time they seemed to be OK plugs. However, one must consider 
the crap car they were in too. Not a very good test vehicle. After that I 
heard nothing but bad about them. 
     
Since I grew up, I have been using Autolite #85 in 68 Toronado and #75 in my 
66 Toronados. So far, I can honestly say they have been very good to me. 
     
Anyone else use Autolites?
     
Typhoid Toro
     

------------------------------

From: z28cfi@gwis.com (Jason P. Labay)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:23:50 -0300
Subject: Re: misc... 

I thought that might cause some trouble : ) I wasn't thinking when I made up
a nickname. Since my Z/28 just blew its tranny this evening I think I will
change my address to the more appropriate W25@gwis.com....

Jason Labay
1975 H/O W-25
1988 Z/28..... that currently won't move in any gear




>>z28cfi@gwis.com (Jason P. Labay)
>
>Must be an oversight, Jason, but you might consider removing those offensive
>letters from your email address... I believe a more appropriate combination
>would start with a W, such as:
>  W30cfi@gwis.com   :)
>
>
>--
>Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
>wittchri@pilot.msu.edu
>
>
>
Jason P. Labay (z28cfi@gwis.com)
1975 Hurst/Olds W-25   H/OCA#0278A
1988 Camaro Z/28 Cross-Fire Inj. 305

------------------------------

From: Charles A Rogers <roger035@gold.tc.umn.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:30:39 -0300
Subject: My home page

everyone should check out my page.  its at
http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g021/roger035/

------------------------------

From: "Andrew C. Green" <acg@frame.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 12:31:30 -0300
Subject: Re: '69 4-4-2 Die Cast Model 

>In the last toy magazine that I saw, it said that the release date was July
>1996.  This was from a dealer that listed th whole line of Ertle Musclecars
>that is offered.  They listed both the 442 and Hurst Olds, I think that they
>were around $29.95 a piece which seemed a little bit high to me. 

I think Cars & Parts had some photos of the upcoming models in a color
display ad a month or so back, although I _think_ the Cutlass/442 photo
was blank -- some sort of "Coming Soon" pasted in...

BTW, Dyersville, Iowa is the home of both Ertl and the "Field of Dreams"
farmhouse and baseball diamond. Definitely a nice place to visit.

Andrew C. Green            (312) 266-4431
Datalogics, Inc.
441 W. Huron               Internet: acg@frame.com
Chicago, IL  60610-3498    FAX: (312) 266-4473

------------------------------

From: "Andrew A. Senko" <senko@reston.ans.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:39:30 -0300
Subject: Re: Power Problem

>  
> My new Olds .sig...
>  
> -
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> Robert Lawrence   | 1970 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible
> lawrencr@gdls.com |  ________,~-,____________\___________
> (810) 825-8007    |  |               |    ~|       ___   |
>                   |  ------(-o-)------------------( o )---  
>  
> 

Hey now!!  Your stepping on my turf!!  I'm the originator of the
convertible .sig around here!

Well, I guess it's ok, as long as it's a convertible.
- -- 
                    _
                    |\            Convertibles                     
     .__====-_._____|_\______         Rule!                        Drew Senko
     [   ___  |-     |  ___  \                           senko@reston.ans.net
     =\_//.\\_|______|_//.\\__)                  http://members.gnn.com/senko
_________\_/____________\_/__________________________________________________

------------------------------

From: "Chris Brown Witt" <wittchri@pilot.msu.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 13:49:15 -0300
Subject: Misc. 

> I totally agree.  Did anybody see the last My classic car show?  They
> had a Corvette on there that had a factory restoration.  It was so stupid
> it showed the doorjams not painted, flaws in the paint, etc.. and the
> owner wanted it that way!!!!  If that was me I would have it
> looking as good as an Olds at least!
> Dink

Anybody wanna see my sarcastic article on "Correct Corvette Restoration"
[again]? :) Fits right in with the above... -Chris-

> Yeah, that part number is the one that's now been superceded by a bottle of
> touch-up paint!  What alerted me to a possible difference was the fact that
> in the '67 Service Manual a standard rear-end used one type of gear-oil, a
> posi/limited-slip used another (different) gear-oil, and the Toro was yet
> another gear-oil (ie: part number 1050015 or equivalent).  The local Olds
> dealer says any good 90-weight gear oil will work.  Any more ideas?
> - -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

Hey, if the factory says to use touch-up paint in the final drive, who are WE
to argue? :) Seriously, s'far as I know, there's but two differences in Gear
Oil, besides the thickness or 'weight'. In the olden days, gear teeth were
straight, then came curved 'hypoid' teeth, which required a new, better
lubricant for long life. Nowadays any gear oil you can find should suffice for
and even say it's for Hypoid Gears. Thus, overkill for earlier gears. The
second difference would be the Posi/Open differential. Posi types require a
special additive [available separately I believe] to control that pesky chatter
of the gripping mechanism that encourages both wheels to turn even if one has
less traction. Kind of a fine line bewteen too slippery to get posi action and
too grabby to provide smooth operation. -Chris-

> Third, what have you found is the best way to remove a windshield?

Why? You saving it? They're only about $2-300 new, unless this one is in
PRISTINE conditon, like NO sand pits, scratches, etc., why bother? That said, I
find that removing the molding, then cutting around the inside & outside with a
blade usually does the trick. If not, get a wire, a tough wire like music wire,
thru the sealant at the easiest place, wrap it around a handle inside & out,
and have a helper "saw" and forth around the perimeter. On the Toro of last
year, I just put my feet against it, and it was hardly held in at all anymore-
just practically flew out. Usually, however, they break or crack during the
process of getting the wire thru. -Chris-

> >the head... put a "2A" on the head, and voila' it's a 260 engine! :) -Chris-
>      Ooh, SLICK!  I LIKE!  :)  Now about that rib behind the water pump, on
> the shelf...

I'd say that virtually NO mechanics know that that even exists, let alone what
it's for/ means... Shoot, few of us brother-appointed "experts" even know....

- --intakes--
>      Somewhere in between early 70's and the 80's (I guess when they
> switched heads in what, '77 or so? to the PMD castings (I think that's how
> it went, anyway) they used different intakes that coverred a water passage
> between some of the intake ports.  (I'm going entirely on memory, here, from
> about six years back)  The older intakes left these ports uncoverred and
> Presto:  Prestone leaks!  The older heads had plugs in these holes, as far
> as I've noticed, but the newer ones don't.  (at least my '81 260 didn't, if
> that can be a fair representation...)  The intakes will still bolt up and
> function, etc.  Just need to plug off them holes, I guess.

Huh? There are no water passages between the intakes... All Olds heads I have
ever seen have ports on the intake side: Coolant-cyl-cyl-xst x/over-cyl-cyl-
coolant. That's it. The only variations I have noticed is the xst x/over port
is rather smaller on some C heads, and the intakes of course for the cyls are:
260: miniscule, 307: small, 350/330/403: Regular, big block: Large.
  I'm not saying you're wrong, just giving the opportunity for others to
enlighten me & others... -Chris-

>      By the way, looked up "Holley" in Webster's...  Says : To drip
> incessantly, also to burn violently...   :)

  Heh!
>      Also noticed gullible wasn't even in there!

That's funny, it's in my dictionary... Hey! why, you.... :)

> solid web' would mean a much stronger bottom end.  As far as 403's go, some
> people doubt that a solid web engine was ever made.  According to Mondello
> (who I will mention later), 2500 solid web 403's were produced in 1977 and
> they were used in big Buick and Olds wagons.  You can determine if you have a
> solid web by looking at the serial number.  When Mondello comes out with his
> technical reference manual there will be a list of serial numbers that are
> solid webs. But keep in mind, nobody on this mail list has ever seen a solid
> web, so we have to take it as a myth until somebody proves otherwise.

Wow, that'd be great, to have actual numbers to look for. Shoot, even the fact
that WAGONS might contain them is more than we had to go on before. Hmmmmm...
hard to believe that Toro's would not be 1st in line for a better engine,
though. Again, I offer $ for proof that such an animal exists... No takers yet.
I wonder if there's an external indication, like "403" and not "403 X" cast on
the side of the block, or an inconspicuous drill spot, like the Toro D-425
blocks...
   -Chris-

> Parts availability for 350/403: 260/307/330/350/403 are all small blocks and
> have the same exterior dimensions, so all the brackets and so on will
> interchange.  So intakes, headers, distributors, cams,  oil pans, valve
> covers, etc, etc, will interchange from the 350 to 403.  The only thing that
> doesn't (easily) interchange are the heads.  All 403's had 4A heads, while
> 350's had an assortment of heads.  To use a 350 head on a 403, the mounting
> holes have to be drilled for =" bolts instead of 7/16" and the pilot holes
                              ^^^
Good info! Hey, how'd you get THAT 1/2 thingy in this text ??? Cool!

> have to be opened up to 5/16".  The advantages of using a 350 head on a 403
> are flow and compression ratio.

If the pilot holes are them holes that fit over the pegs that stick out of the
block, to me it'd make more sense to fit the block with stepped dowels, one end
fits the block, other end the head. A bit more effort perhaps. -Chris-

> As far as technical info goes, Mondello seems to give quite a bit of info and
> in a few weeks he is putting out a technical info book.  Supposedly this book
> will have everything a man wanted to know and more about Oldsmobile engines,
> etc (but take that for what it's worth)

Also, it's been due in "a few weeks" for several months now.... Vaporware!
Wonder if it'll be made available on disc or CD?

> From: clark@sh28.dseg.ti.com (Pat Clark 952-3776)
> Well went and bought a Mallory Unilite mechanical advance dist from Stupor Sho
> last night. Before I put this thing on and ruin any chance I have to return or
> exchange it, is there any problems that anyone can think of that I might find
> by switching from a vac/mech advance stock points dist to a purely mech advanc
> HEI? I wonder about idle overheating with a/c on. They had me buy an in-line
> resistor for the ignition wire to dist connection. I guess that my stock wirin
> for a points system wouldn't have this already in place huh? One last question
> How hard is it to remove the oil pump drive rod from the old dist and install
> into the new. Is it pressed in. Thanks a lot guys!

Huh? Vacuum advance is a feature designed to give greater economy at
part-throttle cruise. You can do w/o it for one-speed, one-load uses like
tractors, race cars, etc. However, if you have say a 68-9 A-body with that
thermostatic vacuum device we've been discussing, and there's no vac canister
to hook it to, yes, you can expect boilover during idling on hot days, never
mind having AC [ask me how I know THAT, missed most of Woodland, CA's last
legal Cruise Night...].
  In line resistor? for HEI?? Dunno about that, never heard od such a thing.
Only POINTS type ignitions need a resistor s'far as I know. HEI is NOT points
triggered. Yes, if your car is wired for points, the resistor wire IS built in,
from the jxn block at the firewall to the coil. In fact, to use HEI, you have
to remove or bypass this wire with a "real" wire. Isn't this all in an article
of Bryce's web page?
  One last tip: the oil pump drive rod is NOT [supposed to be] "pressed into"
the dist'r gear. They will occasionally get good & stuck however. For instance,
on the race car after we put the Toro 425 in, we wanted to convert to
mechanical advance only. Strange, the dist'r would NOT come out, and we had
just put it in, an HEI... So we got a bigger pry bar. It finally came out, by
stripping those little washers off the lower end of the drive rod. [So THAT's
how that happens!, Guess where they are now :( ] It was stuck real good too. My
guess is that high-rpm use loads the rod to an extreme, and that's what sticks
it hard in the drive gear.

> Dink wrote:
> > In the Front??????  Them are pretty wide tires for the front of
> > anything.

> Maybe, maybe not.      :)
> The 66 Toro and Mike

Touche'   -Chris-

> Moral of the story:  If your plan to wind it up a bit, you might want to
> check those springs periodically.  Seems the quality of some of them has
> gone into the crapper.
> The 66 Toro and Mike

Dang! Good advice. Was that perchance an engine of 'some other make' you were
using? -Chris-

> > I have a couple of questions for the toroheads out there...
> Dunno.  Don't have one.  Any 69ers out there?
> Greg?   Gregg?    Greggg?

I have the opportunity to obtain a 69 Toro parts car for nearly free, same guy
I bought the 68 Toro engine from... maybe I better look into it, eh? -Chris-

> valve guides or rings. And I runs to damn good.  Please feel free to =
> beat the snot out of me with a baseball bat if I ever even think about =
> getting rid of the car.
> Luke  & 442=20

Now that's loyalty. Now, can you fix your mailer to not stick an "=" or "=20"
at the end of the lines? -Chris-

> Others have mentioned that to fit the BB, you have to use headers that rout
> outside the frame and may limit wheel turn.  Did you run into this with your
> '79?

Well, the 78 race car has headers that fit w/o such gymnastics. I believe
Hooker offers them, you just have to bend over & grab yer ankles & act like you
are glad to get them, no matter what the cost. -Chris-

> Here's a bit of useless trivia for you: Albert Champion (pronounce with
> thick French accent, s'il vous plait) founded a spark plug company in the
> early 1900's sometime to sell plugs to William Durant's General Motors;
> no, not the Champion Spark Plug Company, but with his own initials: the
> AC Spark Plug company. Eventually Durant bought him out so as to bring
> the company under the GM umbrella (along with the Delaware ELectric COmpany,
> or "Delco"). Somewhat miffed, Champion went out and founded yet another
> company to make spark plugs, using his whole name this time, which brings
> us up to today.

Not entirely useless; I won a free T-shirt at Sacramento Dragway one night for
knowing that the AC in AC spark plugs was from Albert Champion....-Chris-

> I think (insert sound of memory being strained) the '66 had the funky

That's great; it worked. My imagination made up a sound of a memory being
strained... advantage of soundless text I guess...

> planetary gear differential, but the '67 and on had the normal arrangement.
> Or maybe the '66 AND '67 had the planetary, and '68 and on got normal...
> Damn alzheimer's.

Wait, didn't the Alzheimer's Final Drive come mid-year in the 1970 model run?
Well, I expect to be taking apart a 66 final drive this summer... -Chris-

> I run an HEI on my '67 with 455, nitrous, etc.  Got the HEI in a junk yard
> for $35 to replace the original points distributor.  After brazing the slot
> to limit the vacuum advance (from >25 degrees to about 10) and recurving the

Why not just purchase a differently configured or adjustable vac canister only
$20 or so... -Chris-

> mechanical advance it works great and beats the price of an MSD or similar.
>  As for the stories that HEI's crap out above 4500, I don't know where that
> got started (except by magazines hyping their advertisers' products) but I've
> had mine to 7,000rpm.  I usually limit rpms to below 6,000.  In any case, my
> HEI has never missed a beat.

Let's hear it for HEI! And for real-world testimonials, not from somebody
trying to sell you a new 'better' thingy... -Chris-

> >From my personal experience the problems with running only mechanical advance
> and no vacuum advance are:
>
>      * Overheating from the retarded (versus stock) timing
>      * Poor idle (requires greater throttle opening to maintain idle speed)
>      * Lousy gas mileage
>      * Failure at any smog test facility (can't miss it)

That's funny, in Cal., they made my 68 have the vacuum advance DISCONNECTED to
pass smog exam, which did not help the hot weather stuck in traffic idling
much. So, between inspections, it got re-hooked. -Chris-

> Right, what I was referring to was setups where the vacuum needs to be
> turned "off" for some reason. You can't just close off the line from the
> vacuum source; you also need to bleed air _in_ to the line that you're
> trying to deactivate. On some Fords with setups like that, the solenoid
> ports that function as line purge inlets have little foam "filters"
> stuck on them, which I guess also serve to prevent headscratching like
> this over whether something's supposed to be connected there.
> Andrew C. Green            (312) 266-4431

Right, but, since there's no check valves in the system, as long as the dist'r
canister gets connected to either one source or the other, not 'nothing', then
there's no prob.... High vac. in canister- switches to other source- vacuum
'leaks out' by drawing in air from the new source port... -Chris-

> Subject: Entombed Cars
> Article in the paper here this morning about a guy in Maine who uncovered
> a '54 Corvette with a couple of thousand miles on it. It had been sealed
> up in a "tomb" since the mid-50s when the original owner built a building
> around it. Reportedly the lowest-mileage and most original '54 Vette in
> the world (though I don't think I'd want to have to try and start it
> after sitting that long). Standing around the water cooler, chatting
> about it, this reminded one of the boys in the office about a '56
> Continental Mark II that was found here locally a couple of years
> ago under somewhat similar circumstances. That one worked fine when
> started after sleeping for 30 years or so.

Can you imagine how the presumably car nut musta felt when he found that? The
stuff legends are made of... and not just April Fools jokes either. I hear
there's an H/O sitting, unfortunately, outdoors hereabouts, rusting away, and
the owner won't sell or preserve it... Can't recall the year though. -Chris-

> Just thought I'd point out that my '83 Delta 88 with the 307 has black
> rockers.
> Kevin

- -Thanks-

> I have a question I was hoping someone could help me with.  I have a friend
> that has a 1976 Toronado and it's having a problem where the battery is
> draining itself of power overnight and it won't start in the morning.
>
> What steps can you advise to diagnose where the problem is originating?
> Help will be appreciated.

Well, that's one for the FAQ list... Um, stick a buzzer or light in line
between the disconnected battery cable [disco 1 only...] and its post on the
battery. Turn the car and all stuffs off. If there's any current drain, then
the light or buzzer will. An ammeter would work, too, but you know, not
everyone has one handy. Presuming you find that juice is leaking, you then
start disconnecting things until the leak quits. For instance, take the wires
off the alternator; if current still flows, it's not bad alt diodes... then
start removing fuses from 'always-on ckts' like ctsy lites, lighter, etc. Has a
radio or other acc'y been added that was tapped into an 'always-on' ckt.??
- -Chris-

> plain hupcaps where the rims are painted the color of the car, rather than
> full wheel
> covers.  It didn't even have a radio.

I'll take them dog-dish hubcaps & radio delete plate, thanks! -Chris-

> that he bought cars like this to drive them.  He was going to use it as his
> to and from work driver.

Awwww, geeez. Go figure. That could have turned a rustbucket like my 68 post
coupe into a Youngmobile once again...

> I met a guy today with a '72 Cutlass with a "stock" 455.  It was beautifully
> done.  He suggested his engine combination to me for my '49 coupe.  It is a
> stock 1972 engine with "C" heads and a W-30 cam.  Other than that, Hooker
> headers are the only modifications.  If I were looking for a W-30  cam or
> "C" heads, how could I identify them?  I am leaving for the Portland, Oregon
> swap meet tomorrow, and might get a chance to find them.
> Does the head/cam combo sound like a logical choice?
> Bill Goodnight

Well, you identify the C heads by looking at the lower left corner as you face
an installed head. There'll be a big ol' C about an inch tall if you're lucky.
The other ID is the number 394548 which is around the lower center RACover
bolt, 3 digits per side. Also, to be SURE it's not a faked-up G head or
something, the "548" part of the casting ID is repeated in larger digits on the
BOTTOM  [block surface] of the head, intake side-ish.  Gotta have it off to see
that... Came on '67-69 big blocks; Toronados are the best engines. [Yeah, unles
you find a Clueless Chump selling off a W30  or 442 motor for cheap... how
likely is that?] '67 C heads have the engine unit # and Application code
stamped into the end of one of them, on the flat pad. 68-up engines had the EUN
stamped into the oil fill tube, so if you are looking at a whole engine,
that'll help- the 1st digit- the year of the engine: 9=1969, 8=1968, etc.
  Cam: what, you're buying a USED cam? If buying new, you do not need to know
how to ID a stock 'W30' cam, which, btw, there were variaous versions of... the
W30 motor varied from a short stroke 400 to a long stroke 400 to a 455... The
usual cams referred to as W30 are the 308 degree and 328 degree. When I was
looking for a real, used, W30 cam, I wanted the 328 degree version, the manual
said that it was stapmed "569" [last 3 digits of the part #] on the back, and
indeed it was. I advise you to get a cam from Engle or Mondello or JCWhitney or
Summit, just study up on the specs you want based on the gears you have and
what you expect from the vehicle.
  Block: any '71 & up will have LOW compression pistons... if low performance
is OK w/ you, just cruising, that's fine. You can always rebuild to more
compression later anyhow... However, that good nodular crank seems to have been
used up thru 1972 or so only...
  Summary: I'd avoid J heads or  the engines they came on. Strive for C's, but
don't pay over $200 a pair unless they have been extensively resorked: hard xst
seats, guides, milled, etc. Get a Toro engine if possible. 4-barrel engine
at least... 1972 Ga heads might have hard xst seats already installed by the
factory, a good point for unleaded gas use... -Chris-

> From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
> Subject: tranny & heads
>
> Also, what casting number is best (preffered, recommended, whatever) and
> available when looking for heads for a 350?  There are several boneyards
> around here with Oldsmobiles in them...I'd like to know what to look for.

What are your goals for the heads?
For most purposes, the 1972 #7a seem to be the best choice- they have chambers
small enough to afford good compression, and [jury's still out] prolly hard xst
seats, for long life with unleaded fuel. -Chris-

> Robert Lawrence   | 1970 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible
> lawrencr@gdls.com |  ___________,~-,____________\______________
> (810) 825-8007    |  |               |    ~|        ___  |     |
>                   |  ---------(-o-)--------------------( o )---/

Just had to stretch that car a bit...
- --
Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
wittchri@pilot.msu.edu

------------------------------

From: "Chris Brown Witt" <wittchri@pilot.msu.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 14:27:05 -0300
Subject: wanted: est'd value

Have a person here who has an old Starfire, wants to know what it's worth...
1964 Starfire
Presumably the big 394 engine
Buckets, console, vacuum [?] gage not tach on it...
Red exterior
Some rust, some dings, I don't know the exact definitions, but prolly a #4 or a
#3 after some cleanup.
Runs, is driven. '64 98 parts car/ driver too, but it's a 4-door.

I'm thinking some crazed Starfire lover might pay about $1000 for such a beast.
Any input appreciated.

- --
Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
wittchri@pilot.msu.edu

------------------------------

From: "David Brown" <dbrown@mcis.bsd.uchicago.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 15:19:30 -0300
Subject: Re[3]: Olds FAQ 

Everyone,

Thanks for the responses!  I would like it to be "our" FAQ.  I'm just 
compiling the information.

o Olds 4 Dolt Mains?  Olds 4 Colt Mains?
BTW, this FAQ will go in the FAQ hall of fame; a most excellent FAQ, if 
there ever was one, to set the standard for other models!
This of course brings up the eternal Olds questions:
1) Which will be out sooner? Our FAQ or Mondello's Technical guide? (And
which will be more useful...)
2) Do we really need Mondello, now that we have each other?

- --
That's patented, by the way :).  Olds 4 Jolt, Molt[spun bearing], Volt, 
Zolt Mains?  The phrase "swap bar" sneaked it's way in to another section.  

Thanks!  First draft takes the vapor ware award - it's 2 months late.

The FAQ will be out sooner.  Friday afternoon still looks good!

You will still need Joe and Dave Smith!  Like to see his tech ref and 
compare.  


Could the following posters provide any information they have.  My goal is to 
condense it to a paragraph or two:
o '84 H/O is actually option W-35 I believe (got the 
     paperwork at home to know for sure).
     Tom L.

o W-40 and W-41 Quad442's
     Mike

o advice/procedures for starting a car that has been sitting for a long while
- --
I see someone posted something on this.  Greg, Bob, you guys tweek it, discern 
the r.a.tech advice, post it, revise it through the list, and I'll add it!  
Thanks!


There are many areas that need information, but I don't have the time given the 
release date to request information yet.  I'm at a class next week (4/15), so I 
will be making info requests week of 4/22.

Thanks!
David Brown
dbrown@mcis.bsd.uchicago.edu    (312) 702-9157
"Oldsmobile - powerful roadsters with big V8s"

------------------------------

From: "David Brown" <dbrown@mcis.bsd.uchicago.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 16:41:04 -0300
Subject: Re[3]: Olds FAQ 

Please do!

     10. Prepping a Car for Long Term Storage
     11. Starting a Long Term Stored Vehicle

David Brown
dbrown@mcis.bsd.uchicago.edu    (312) 702-9157
"Oldsmobile - powerful roadsters with big V8s"

- -----------------
     Also how about prepping a car for long term storage?  I've never had 
     to store a car, but when you store boats for the winter the marina 
     sells an "engine fogger" which appears to just be a light oil.  You 
     spray it into the carb while the engine is running and it kills the 
     engine and coats the cylinder walls, then you shut it off and leave 
     it.  I'm sure this could be applied to cars.
     
     Tom L.

------------------------------

From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 15:43:56 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

At 11:56 AM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:
>
>>Here's another thing.  The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...I'd say it's
>>about half lit.  It started doing it a month or two after I replaced the
>>alternator.  It is a constant thing, not intermittent.  Also, when I put on
>>the emergency brake on, and the "BRAKE" light comes on, the "GEN" light
>>glows brighter than with the brake off.  Any ideas?  I thought maybe a short
>>in the wiring harness or something, but I dread the thought of trying to
>>track it down...
>
>>Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
>>dpauliso@metrolink.net
>
>
>Well, someone has to suggest the obvious... loose belt?
>
>Melbourne, Florida!  Hey, a picture of my car is on the wall of Rooney's, in 
>Palm Bay.  I snuck in with a picture and a drill one day.  Heh, heh...
>
>It was still there when I stopped in, two weeks ago.
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -----
>Robert Lawrence   | 1970 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible
>lawrencr@gdls.com |  ________,~-,____________\___________
>(810) 825-8007    |  |               |    ~|       ___   |
>                  |  ------(-o-)------------------( o )---  
>
>
>
No, it's not a loose belt.  The charging system is working fine, just that
annoying little light in the dash...   I've already checked the obvious,
just need some more ideas.  

Hey, I've been in Rooney's many times...don't recall seeing a picture of an
Olds, but then I wasn't really looking.  I'll have to keep an eye out next
time I'm there.

- --
Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
dpauliso@metrolink.net

------------------------------

From: "Meyer I. Stolberg" <mas@cci.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 14:05:32 -0300
Subject: Re: Champion Spark Plugs

On Apr 11,  4:35am, Tom Lentz wrote:

>      I'm trying to get up the guts to try out a set of AC Rapidfire's.
>      Anyone use 'em?
>

I think the AC Rapidfire plugs are great.  My 91 W-41 Quad442 had an hellacious
idle.  Changing gasoline brands made a slight difference, but the Rapidfire
plugs made the idle MUCH smoother (and the exhaust pitch slightly higher).

For an automobile columnist's opinion check out Barry Winfield from the May 95
issue of Car and Driver.  He quotes objective numbers on the merits of these
plugs.

Meyer
'91 W-41 Quad442 (442-lite)

------------------------------

From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 16:09:15 -0300
Subject: Re: Misc. 

At 01:49 PM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:

>Anybody wanna see my sarcastic article on "Correct Corvette Restoration"
>[again]? :) Fits right in with the above... -Chris-
>
Yeah, post it...


>
>Wow, that'd be great, to have actual numbers to look for. Shoot, even the fact
>that WAGONS might contain them is more than we had to go on before. Hmmmmm...
>hard to believe that Toro's would not be 1st in line for a better engine,
>though. Again, I offer $ for proof that such an animal exists... No takers yet.
>I wonder if there's an external indication, like "403" and not "403 X" cast on
>the side of the block, or an inconspicuous drill spot, like the Toro D-425
>blocks...
>   -Chris-
>

There's a guy in town here who has a 403 Olds engine in a Pontiac station wagon.
He says it runs great (of course!) and wants $1000 for the whole car...

>
>What are your goals for the heads?
>For most purposes, the 1972 #7a seem to be the best choice- they have chambers
>small enough to afford good compression, and [jury's still out] prolly hard xst
>seats, for long life with unleaded fuel. -Chris-
>

I'll just stick with my #5 heads and have them worked over.

- --
Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
dpauliso@metrolink.net

------------------------------

From: "Andrew C. Green" <acg@frame.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 15:05:46 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

>No, it's not a loose belt.  The charging system is working fine, just that
>annoying little light in the dash...   I've already checked the obvious,
>just need some more ideas. 

I think any pretty substantial drain with the charging system inoperative
would let the warning lamp glow. Heck, maybe you could even use the glowing
warning lamp as your leak detector (like we were saying you'd have to do
with an ammeter between the positive battery terminal and cable): just pull
fuses one at a time until the warning lamp goes out, and there's your leaky
circuit.

My brother-in-law's '67 GTO had the same symptoms (battery going dead
overnight and a weakly glowing warning lamp) and the problem was traced
to a bad voltage regulator, although I think the car we're talking about
here had an internal, electronic regulator, right? Just to be complete,
I should mention that the original AC-Delco regulator was suspected, was
replaced with a cheesy aftermarket brand that did exactly the same thing
right out of the box, then finally with a correct, new AC-Delco (hurrah!)
unit which has been fine ever since. The car also got a new and bigger
battery which replaced the wrong undersized one (which had been making
the charging system do a deep recharge every time the car was started)
and a new uncut 10-gauge wire between the alternator and starter solenoid
to replace a badly-spliced one that had had an aftermarket ammeter cut in.

Andrew C. Green            (312) 266-4431
Datalogics, Inc.
441 W. Huron               Internet: acg@frame.com
Chicago, IL  60610-3498    FAX: (312) 266-4473

------------------------------

From: SMR908NJ@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 16:56:08 -0300
Subject: Re: replacing hydraulic fluid on conv. tops. 

I have a 65 Cutlass.  For me, I have to remove a plug and put a copper hose
in the hole.  I then take brake fluid and put the hose in the bottle.  After
doing this you shoild put the top down then operate it 15 seconds after the
top is down.  I don't know how to drain it though sorry.

scott ring
smr908nj

------------------------------

From: Greg Beaulieu <ab348>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:27:11 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, David Paulison wrote:

> >>Here's another thing.  The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...I'd say it's
> >>about half lit.  It started doing it a month or two after I replaced the
> >>alternator.  It is a constant thing, not intermittent.  Also, when I put on
> >>the emergency brake on, and the "BRAKE" light comes on, the "GEN" light
> >>glows brighter than with the brake off.  Any ideas?  I thought maybe a short
> >>in the wiring harness or something, but I dread the thought of trying to
> >>track it down...

Something just occurred to me... don't know how this fits in but maybe it 
means something. On these cars with the points-type voltage regulator, 
the "Gen" light will glow dimly when the key is in the "Acc" position. 
Scared me the first time I saw it until I read in the service manual that 
it is normal. Presumably it is set to glow when volts drop below a 
certain level, perhaps with varying degrees of brightness depending on 
how much below the threshold level you're at? Dunno, just guessing 
here... maybe your alternator is goin' south?

BTW, I was in Melbourne a few years back. Liked it a lot (heard rumors of 
sharks at the beach though)... in fact, recommended to a co-worker who's 
there right now. Would like to go back some day. Good golf range on the 
main drag, my first experience with coin-op golf ball vending machines. 
Speaking of which I'm off to watch the Masters (the start of high holy 
days for us golf types)...


Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

------------------------------

From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:55:09 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

At 05:27 PM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:

>Something just occurred to me... don't know how this fits in but maybe it 
>means something. On these cars with the points-type voltage regulator, 
>the "Gen" light will glow dimly when the key is in the "Acc" position. 
>Scared me the first time I saw it until I read in the service manual that 
>it is normal. Presumably it is set to glow when volts drop below a 
>certain level, perhaps with varying degrees of brightness depending on 
>how much below the threshold level you're at? Dunno, just guessing 
>here... maybe your alternator is goin' south?
>
>BTW, I was in Melbourne a few years back. Liked it a lot (heard rumors of 
>sharks at the beach though)... in fact, recommended to a co-worker who's 
>there right now. Would like to go back some day. Good golf range on the 
>main drag, my first experience with coin-op golf ball vending machines. 
>Speaking of which I'm off to watch the Masters (the start of high holy 
>days for us golf types)...
>
>
>Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
>
>
>
It does seem to get dimmer and brighter at times, but never goes out.  I've
replaced the voltage regulator (external) twice.  The alternator is from the
discount auto parts store...could be goin' bad.  I think before I get a new
one, though, I will check my grounds; might have a bad one.

Never seen any sharks at the beach here, but heard about 'em in Cocoa Beach
and Daytona Beach.

Thanks
- --
Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
dpauliso@metrolink.net

------------------------------

From: Mike Frederick <edison3@cpeq.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 08:55:18 -0300
Subject: Re: Some Other Make 

Small Blob Ch*vy bored .030 over. (Hey! I didn't own it, just sponsored 
it.) Stock block, piston, etc.  Alchohol 4-barrel.  Called it a Super 
Sportsman, similar to a limited or 360 sprint.  Ran mostly at Silver 
Spring in PA.  Once in a while you'll catch them on Saturday Night 
Thunder.  Look for the 50B.  Watch and see if it coughs up valves.   :)

The 66 Toro and Mike


- -- 
Michael R. Frederick, CEO
Edison3, Incorporated
Tampa, Florida
(813) 210-8649

------------------------------

From: Mike Frederick <edison3@cpeq.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 08:58:26 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

I'll stick with the ground theory.  Alternator problems wouldn't explain 
why the light brightens up when the emergency brake is set.  Would it?

The 66 Toro and Mike


- -- 
Michael R. Frederick, CEO
Edison3, Incorporated
Tampa, Florida
(813) 210-8649

------------------------------

From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 18:15:47 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

At 08:58 AM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:
>I'll stick with the ground theory.  Alternator problems wouldn't explain 
>why the light brightens up when the emergency brake is set.  Would it?
>
>The 66 Toro and Mike
>
>
>-- 
>Michael R. Frederick, CEO
>Edison3, Incorporated
>Tampa, Florida
>(813) 210-8649
>
>
Yeah, that's what I'm going with for a start...

Thanks for the help
- --
Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
dpauliso@metrolink.net

------------------------------

From: "Andrew C. Green" <acg@frame.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 17:44:14 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

>>I'll stick with the ground theory.  Alternator problems wouldn't explain 
>>why the light brightens up when the emergency brake is set.  Would it?
>
>Yeah, that's what I'm going with for a start...

Having followed the rest of the followups since my last post, I'll throw
in a vote for ground problems, too. I'd especially look at the engine
block connections...

Andrew C. Green            (312) 266-4431
Datalogics, Inc.
441 W. Huron               Internet: acg@frame.com
Chicago, IL  60610-3498    FAX: (312) 266-4473

------------------------------

From: Nick DiGiovanni <ndigiova@direct.ca>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 18:28:55 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

At 01:28 AM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:
>Here's another thing.  The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...I'd say it's
>about half lit.  It started doing it a month or two after I replaced the
>alternator.  It is a constant thing, not intermittent.  Also, when I put on
>the emergency brake on, and the "BRAKE" light comes on, the "GEN" light
>glows brighter than with the brake off.  Any ideas?  I thought maybe a short
>in the wiring harness or something, but I dread the thought of trying to
>track it down...
>
> 
>
>        
>--
>Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
>dpauliso@metrolink.net
>
I had the same problem with my car a few months ago and it turned out to be
the diodes in a so called "new" alternator.  Mine has the voltage regulator
built into the alternator and I also replaced that with a built in heavy
duty marine voltage regulator.  The dim and bright sindrome is now gone.
Hope this helps.

Nick DiGiovanni
Port Coquitlam, B.C.
1970 4-4-2 - "Snarls Softly and Carries a Big Kick"

------------------------------

From: jsmith@radware.net (James Smith)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 19:20:55 -0300
Subject: RE: tranny & heads

- ------ =_NextPart_000_01BB27DA.6CF0E120
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

yes the brake fluid will soften up the seals. there is no prob with =
putting it in there but you will have to change the fluid after about =
15-20 miles=20

=20
About the tranny...I asked a friend about it.  He drives a Ford.  He =
said he
had a similar problem and that the seals in mine were probably dried out =
or
something. He said "Well, I just poured a pint of brake fluid in my
transmission, and now it works fine!!"  I am a little skeptical.  I =
hesitate
to pour improper fluids into my cars orifices.  I do not have the desire =
to
destroy my tranny before its time.  Has anybody ever heard of this??  =
Does
it work, or will it ruin the transmission?  His car still goes forward =
with
the gear selector in "D"...=20

Thanks=20
- --
Dave Paulison
69 Cutlass Supreme




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bm55LiiASb0jIHMcACMRHCAIgW4jEacjox9QHhAgSBuwZAUQVyHABCApMEYFsGQqRHP/C3AccBug
CoURgCkSAJAkUXcKwR7yJHBtIyApkRuQYa8nxB3DIDIkUG4bsHceUvMe8gGgbHkqkikBI7IFsH8K
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AiAzUC4SHsAH4CARdxUFsGsEIGYvgSEhIvclgCixLfEgGdACQCRwHNDzHAAFMGljB0AqQSiwG6B/
AJABkBPQNgYe0QhhHoBt/R7xcCNhHDMvIiHxNeAiEL8RkTExBpA6IAeQOmNkHtD/HsAFQCGkG6EN
sACQHmEh8PcKhT/BKCBvMIA9cSgkG8D3DcAFsB5xdBtxB3EqQijQ1S4BeQbgZDCAZSHALJGPHdAL
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d0QyH0I2BhuhImAxojMgxybRBbEgQSJEIiiBJK1OVCIxODEKhS0tCoVEsSGyUGF1GdAc4G4KhXA2
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d+uy9Ce7AUAACDAgd+uy9Ce7AR4APQABAAAABQAAAFJFOiAAAAAAzEE=

- ------ =_NextPart_000_01BB27DA.6CF0E120--

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 20:53:53 -0300
Subject: Shameless Plug for Chris Witt

Gang,

Just received my beloved and much-searched-for #7027131 carb for the Toro
from Chris Witt.  I've been looking for a good, original, rebuildable core
Q-Jet for over year now - the fact that I found one at a reasonable price
from one of the "originals" of this list is really cool.

The point: support Chris and his efforts in Oldsmobiling, 'cause I'm living
proof that he supports us.  The same can be said of the rest of our group
who dabble in the business of Oldsmobiling.  

Again, thanks Chris!  You really helped me out.


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: Toronado66@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:09:41 -0300
Subject: Re: Shameless Plug for Chris Witt 

Gregg,

Good for you! That's what it is all about! Glad to hear it

Greg (Typhoid Toro)

------------------------------

From: urbanch@magi.com (Chris Urban)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:19:18 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

I found the same thing a bad regulator. I just eliminate them now and go
with a built in regulator. Much less headaches and very easy to do.
>
>
>

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:30:21 -0300
Subject: Re: Toronado  1966-1996 

>> Oh no - one of you guys isn't gonna jump out of a Toro-shaped cake 
>> smeared with WD-40 are you?  I won't be a part of that - Ok, maybe 
>> I will, but go sparingly with the WD-40, please?!   :)
>
>Would that be _with_ or _without_ the extension nozzle?

Sick, Andrew - very sick!  WITH, of course!!!


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:29:27 -0300
Subject: Re: Toro Gear Oil? 

>Gregg Ludlam wrote:
>
>> Yeah, that part number is the one that's now been superceded by a
>> bottle of touch-up paint!  What alerted me to a possible difference 
>> was the fact that in the '67 Service Manual a standard rear-end used 
>> one type of gear-oil, a posi/limited-slip used another (different) 
>> gear-oil, and the Toro was yet another gear-oil (ie: part number 
>> 1050015 or equivalent).  The local Olds dealer says any good 90-weight
>> gear oil will work.  Any more ideas?
>
>Nope.  But given how over-engineered the car was in the first place, I 
>guess Olds was just being cautious about their new front-wheel stuff.
>
>What color touch-up paint.  We wouldn't want points off for the wrong 
>color.    ;)

Yeah, especially if we pour it in the final drive...YIKES!


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:35:10 -0300
Subject: Re: Confession 

>I've been reading the Toro-virus discussions with growing concern.
>
>You see, I once owned a '66 Toro.  It was love at first but it was not to be.
> Due to job circumstances and a move across the country it is now in someone
>elses care.  I made sure it went to a good home though
>
>My concern is that I although I have been exposed to at least one Toronado
>(white, red interior, chrome wheels by the way) I have had no symptoms, I
>think, of the dreaded Toro virus.
>
>Could this mean I am a CARRIER!

Bob - here's the deal, pal.  You're Doomed!!! Just get it over-with and go
buy one!


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:40:40 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

>I found the same thing a bad regulator. I just eliminate them now and go
>with a built in regulator. Much less headaches and very easy to do.

There are also companies who make electronic VRs - they look just like the
old-style black ones with the coils and stuff inside, but they're SCR-type
setups with no adjustments.  I have one and it works great, although I have
no idea who made it.  I'd ask your local parts store.


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:47:27 -0300
Subject: Re: Toro Gear Oil? 

Paul,

>Isn't the original Toro differential something other than the normal
>four spider gear setup. I seem to remember it being a flat planetary
>unit, very narrow compared to normal differentials and those on later
>Toros. I asked this question about the differential setup about a year
>ago, but no one responded

Yes, the Toros do have a planetary-gear type setup.  According to my manual,
the setup consists of a planetary pinion carrier with 3 pairs of planetary
pinions, a sun gear and an internal gear.  The manual says it performs the
same functions as the side and pinion gears in a convential differential.
There's a drive pinion that appears in the diagram to be offset slightly
below centerline of the ring gear/internal gear pair.  It otherwise is PFM
to me!!!

If any of this makes little or no sense, it's because the manual is a little
lacking in this area.  As far as I know, the '66 was a little unique, but
the '67 and up all are nearly the same.  I could be goofed-up here...hell,
all I want to do is change-out the gear oil in this thing!


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: David Paulison <dpauliso@metrolink.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:45:24 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light

At 09:19 PM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:
>I found the same thing a bad regulator. I just eliminate them now and go
>with a built in regulator. Much less headaches and very easy to do.


How easy?  If possible, post instrucions here on how to do it!!

Thanks
- --
Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
dpauliso@metrolink.net

------------------------------

From: gludlam@bcinet.net (Gregg Ludlam)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:58:24 -0300
Subject: Re: '69 Toro questions 

>I have a couple of questions for the toroheads out there, since it looks like
>there might be a deal going down here on a '69 model:
>
>What engines were offered in the '69 toro? hp? valve sizes? cam specs? Were
>they all dual exhaust? What were the options available? Did the '69 have the
>barrel-type speedo?

Here's what I found in some reference material:

        -In a picture of the '69 dash, it still has the barrel speedo
        -Base engine was a 375hp 455ci.
        -W-34 option was a high-lift-cam 400 hp 455ci.  The W-34 could be
identified          by cutouts in the rear bumper for the dual exhaust
        -Other than a different front grille design, the '69 is nearly
identical to the '68

I know it's not much, but it's all I could find.  Hope you buy it, so that
you-too can spread the fever.  There for about a year Dave Voorhis and I
were all alone out here!   :)


- -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy

------------------------------

From: lawrencr@kostabi.gdls.com (Robert Lawrence)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 21:55:56 -0300
Subject: Re: Confession

> >My concern is that I although I have been exposed to at least one Toronado
> >(white, red interior, chrome wheels by the way) I have had no symptoms, I
> >think, of the dreaded Toro virus.
> >
> >Could this mean I am a CARRIER!
> 
> Bob - here's the deal, pal.  You're Doomed!!! Just get it over-with and go
> buy one!
> 
> 
> -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy
> 

We need to start a vaccination program.  Maybe if we each got a little bit
of a Toro, we could fight this off.  

Does anybody know of any Toronados we can part out?  :)

...still working on my .sig.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Lawrence   | 1970 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible               .^.
lawrencr@gdls.com |  _________,~--,___________\____________     /9|8\
Sterling Hts., MI |  |                |    ~|        ___   |    \}|{/
(810)825-8007     |  =------(-o-)-------------------( o )--=      v

------------------------------

From: urbanch@magi.com (Chris Urban)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 22:01:17 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

Unplug the harness from your regulator, toss old regulator, run a wire from
brown wire in harness that you just unplugged to terminal on your new
alternator with built in regulator. I'll have to check to see if its
actually the brown wire and which terminal on the alt to connect. If you
need more info e-mail me direct and I'll go have a look and tell you exactly

>At 09:19 PM 4/11/96 -0300, you wrote:
>>I found the same thing a bad regulator. I just eliminate them now and go
>>with a built in regulator. Much less headaches and very easy to do.
>
>
>How easy?  If possible, post instrucions here on how to do it!!
>
>Thanks
>--
>Dave Paulison             Melbourne, FL          69 Cutlass Supreme
>dpauliso@metrolink.net
>
>
>
>

------------------------------

From: Greg Beaulieu <ab348>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 22:18:39 -0300
Subject: Re: '69 Toro questions

On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, Gregg Ludlam wrote:
> Here's what I found in some reference material:
>         -Other than a different front grille design, the '69 is nearly
> identical to the '68
> 
> -Gregg, the '67 Toro guy
> 

Just let me get this straight, G.L.; are you saying it's more or less 
butt-ugly than the '68 whose front-end design you admired so much a few 
weeks back?

Just curious...  ;)

Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

------------------------------

From: Greg Beaulieu <ab348>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 22:40:03 -0300
Subject: Re: Confession

On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, Robert Lawrence wrote:
> We need to start a vaccination program.  Maybe if we each got a little bit
> of a Toro, we could fight this off.  
> 
> Does anybody know of any Toronados we can part out?  :)

Or perhaps I can suggest an alternative as a public service. I am
fortunate to live in what I believe to be a "Toro-free zone", an area
which is free of the dreaded Toro virus thanks to the otherwise-dreaded
tinworm, a local species which is a natural enemy of this debilitating
condition. The last known strain of the '60s Toro virus succumbed to
tinworm in this area many years ago and none are known to exist (although
they are rumored to be somewhat migrant given a sufficient supply of
hi-test gas and spare parts, so we are ever-vigilant). Should conditions
in your locale become dire due to an outbreak of Toro-virus, I invite you
to flee to beautiful, balmy Nova Scotia for a suitable rest-cure and
recovery until the epidemic has passed. 

:)

Greg Beaulieu        ab348@ccn.cs.dal.ca        Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

------------------------------

From: Buddha <buddha@itw.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 23:08:21 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

At 17.27 04,11,96 -0300, you wrote:
>On Thu, 11 Apr 1996, David Paulison wrote:
>
>> >>Here's another thing.  The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...I'd say
it's
>> >>about half lit.  It started doing it a month or two after I replaced the
>> >>alternator.  It is a constant thing, not intermittent.  Also, when I put on
>> >>the emergency brake on, and the "BRAKE" light comes on, the "GEN" light
>> >>glows brighter than with the brake off.  Any ideas?  I thought maybe a
short
>> >>in the wiring harness or something, but I dread the thought of trying to
>> >>track it down...
>
>Something just occurred to me... don't know how this fits in but maybe it 
>means something. On these cars with the points-type voltage regulator, 
>the "Gen" light will glow dimly when the key is in the "Acc" position. 
>Scared me the first time I saw it until I read in the service manual that 
>it is normal. Presumably it is set to glow when volts drop below a 
>certain level, perhaps with varying degrees of brightness depending on 

if it is this...and the light is on when you dont have the key in the acc
position, it might be your ignition switch.

                    Zack
      ___
     /. .\
    _\_*_/_                     -<Buddha>-
   / /   \ \                   Buddha@itw.com
   \_\___/_/            HTTP://www2.itw.com/~buddha/
  /___\_/___\ "That which does not kill us makes us stronger"
 *************

------------------------------

From: PHartlieb@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 23:13:18 -0300
Subject: Re: Delta 88 

In a message dated 96-04-10 22:49:33 EDT, you write:

>im wondering if anyone knows or has a fact sheet for a 1969 Delta 88 
>royale.  i need to know:options,engine,tranny,weight, ect.
>Thanks
>
>Dave
>
>

I can dig out the '69 Produce Selling Feature Album, but how much information
do you want?  Did you see everything I posted about the '70 W32?  This would
be a whole lot more.  How many options to you want to know about; not all of
them?  Drop me a line.

Paul

------------------------------

From: BobH592058@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 23:16:02 -0300
Subject: Re: Confession 

Greg:

Thanks for the invite to Nova Scotia.  Been there. 'Bout 12 years ago drove
up the coast through the maritimes (U.S. & Canada) in an RV.  Beautiful
country. Even made it to Halifax and visited the museums including the one on
the big explosion back at the turn of the century.

Only problem is it's too cold man! I now live in sunny FL after many years in
cold NE of the US.

As for the Toro virus, I'll stay in FL, after all, I'm only a carrier
infecting other unsuspecting souls.

Bob Handren
'67 442 W-30 modified
'70 Cutlass SX convrtible

------------------------------

From: BobH592058@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 23:16:16 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

There are a number of single wire alternators on the market.  Real popular
with the street rod crowd.

They only require a connection to the large gauge wire currently held in
place by a nut over stud connection which feeds the battery.  I don't know
how these new ones work but some years ago I had a Leece-Neville high output
alternator liberated from a police car. That sucker was huge, must have
weighed 10 pounds.  It also used only a one wire connection and used a
"centrifugal" switch.  When stopped there was no internal power to the
alternator, spinning caused the switch to contact and activate the charging
system.

At two recent car shows here in FL chrome versions of the street rod
alternator (which are the same size as that of '60-80's auto alternators)
were going for ~$80 for ~100 amp. That's for a brand new full chrome
alternator.  I've also seen them advertised in the usual magazines like Hot
Rod, Camaro Craft, Pop Hot Rodding, etc.

Bob Handren
'67 442 W-30 modified
'70 Cutlass SX convertible

------------------------------

From: OLDSPWR@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 23:46:38 -0300
Subject: Toro oil pan in G-Body... 

I recently aquired a Toro 455 with the 5 quart oil pan.  Since I don't plan
on building the 455 for awhile, I want to use the pan on my 403 that is in my
79 Cutlass.  I know everybody knows that the Toro oil pan is special because
it holds 1 extra quart of oil and fits in a G-Body chassis, but has anybody
done this?????  I am concerned that the bottom of the pan will be lower than
the frame, and it could possibly bottom out, thus removing the plug and 6
quarts of oil......

Also, my 403 was rebuilt about 6 years ago and had about 15000 miles on it.
 When running 10W40, my oil pressure creeps down to under 20 lbs in gear at a
stop.  At highways speeds, it is about 40 lbs.  I know that the service
manual for a 70 Olds states that the pressure could be as low as 7 lbs, (for
a 455) but that seems a little to low for me.  

Some background:  I did not use Mondellos oil restrictors, because when I
went to insert the first one (according to his instructions), it mushroomed
right over, so I scrapped that idea.  I also installed his oil pump spring,
which is supposed to increase your pressure by 10-15 lbs, but that did squat,
and my pressure remained the same.  
So here is my question, if I install the Toro oil pan, what type of oil pump
should I run?  Any thoughts?  And if possible, could I buy a Melling (etc)
from Summit/Jegs instead on Mondello's ??   Any help would be appreciated!
 Tom Millard OLDSPWR@aol.com 

------------------------------

From: isagil <isagil@CAM.ORG>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 03:03:00 -0300
Subject: 394 Olds engine

Hello!

I'm still searching the entire Net for some info on the Olds 394 engine. 
I found one out that looks good, and I think I'm gonna buy it, but I 
would just like to know first:

1) Does this engine have major weaknesses? 

2) What are (roughly) the HP and TORQUE figures?

3) Can parts from a 400, 425 or 455 be swapped on the 394? Or from any 
other Olds engine? If so, which ones?

4) Anybody out there knows about mild performance parts for a 394 (like a 
camshaft, a roller timing chain, high-volume oil pump, etc.)?


Any advice will be appreciated. Thanx.

Isagil <isagil@cam.org>

------------------------------

From: BobH592058@aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 00:18:21 -0300
Subject: TH400 Modification Info 

As I promised these are the instructions on how to modify a TH400
transmission contained in the Spring, 1970 "SUPER TUNING AND BLUEPRINTING
SPECIFICATIONS FOR 1970 OLDSMOBILE 350 AND 455 CU. IN. ENGINES AND
"W-MACHINE" OPTIONS"

I have placed a few suggestions at the end of this.

******************************************************************************
********************
There are four ways to modify the Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 for quicker shifting.

The methods are:

A.   STREET PACKAGE - Quick Shifts

1. Rework the spacer plate

       a. Open the 2nd clutch feed orifice to .110" diameter.

       b. Open the 3rd clutch feed orifice to .125" diameter.

2.  Replace 2nd clutch wave plate with flat plate P/N 8623150.

3.  Replace 3rd clutch wave plate with flat plate P/N 8625197.

B.   SEMI BONZI - Hard Shifts

1. Open the 3rd clutch feed to .180" diameter in spacer plate.

2. Replace 2nd clutch wave plate with flat plate P/N 8623150.

3.  Replace 3rd clutch wave plate with flat plate P/N 8625197.

4. Replace forward clutch wave plate with flat plate P/N 8625197.

5. On steps 2 through 4 be sure there is adequate clutch pack clearance.

6.  Remove the following check balls:

     a. RND

      b. 3rd clutch

      c. 2-3 Drive (2 balls)

Note:  DO NOT remove modulator/intermediate and reverse/low ball checks.

7. Remove front accumulator spring and install piston upside down in the
valve body.

8. Remove center seal from forward and direct clutch drums.

9. Plug reverse clutch feed in the center support with 1/4" cup plug.

10. Rework 1-2 accumulator system as below:

       a. Remove trim spring at bottom of the valve body bore.

       b. Install 1/4" diameter copper tubing .95" long for 1 valve or .82
long if there is 2 valves.  This should block the valves out against the
plug.

11. Install modified governor to get a higher W.O.T. rpm.

C.  FULL BONZI - Maximum capacity, hard shifts, shift only at W.O.T.

1. Items 1 through 10 on Semi Bonzi Plus:

2. Block vacuum modulator valve in by installing a 5/16" diameter ball in the
neck of the modulator can.

3. Plug reverse boost with 1/4" diameter cup plug in the pump cover.

4. Vent reverse boost with 1/16" deep flat on large O.D. land of boost valve.

5. Install 30.4 lb. pressure regulator spring (1.372 checking height)

6. Remove detent solenoid.
    NOTE:  No vacuum or electrical connection is needed.

7. Install modified governor to get a higher W.O.T.

D.   MANUAL SHIFT  - Low = 1st, Intermediate = 2nd.  Left in Drives it's 2nd
gear start and shifts to 3rd at 20 mph.

(For use with package B or C).

1.  Block detent valves apart with 5/16" diameter copper tubing .41" long.

2. Remove 1-2 modulator - regulators valves and spring.

3. Plug 1-2 valve body bore vent with 3/16" diameter cup plug.

4. Electrical connection not needed for manual shift package.

Note:  Packages B, C, and D should be reworked only by an accomplished
transmission technician.

Low range can be engaged at any speed with packages C and D.

Additional welds at outer corners of converter weld nuts are recommended for
speeds over 6000 rpm.

*****************************************************************************
OK guys, that's it.  I have not used the "C" or "D" packages but have built
several "B" versions.  The "B" version loosens the fillings in my teeth every
time it shifts.  It's been adequate for my 11 second street machine and all
high throttle runs will lay rubber every shift.  Manual shifting an automatic
is a pain in the butt and the shifts of the "C" and "D" are VIOLENT. Not just
hard.

If you study the hell out of an Olds service of that era (~'65-'75) you CAN
figure out what these terms refer to.  Of course, if you have access to an
experience auto transmission technician who will help you out it's sure a lot
easier.

If you buy the "master" rebuild kit you will get all the pieces you need.
 Just make sure you buy the kit that includes new clutches and plates.
 Plates of the type with P/N's above will be in the kit.  The wavy plate
which comes in unmodified TH400 is there to smooth the shift.  That change
alone will sharpen up shifting.
  
Modifying the governor involves drilling or grinding down the weights in the
governor.  The lighter they are the higher the shift.

Have fun!

Bob Handren
'67 442 W-30 Modified
'70 Cutlass SX covertible

------------------------------

From: Bob0Barry@aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 00:29:05 -0300
Subject: Re: "GEN" light 

In a message dated 96-04-11 11:04:19 EDT, you write:

>>Here's another thing.  The "GEN" light in my dash glows dimly...I'd say
it's
>>about half lit.  It started doing it a month or two after I replaced the
>>alternator.  It is a constant thing, not intermittent.  Also, when I put on
>>the emergency brake on, and the "BRAKE" light comes on, the "GEN" light
>>glows brighter than with the brake off.  Any ideas?  I thought maybe a
short
>>in the wiring harness or something, but I dread the thought of trying to
>>track it down...

Two probable culprits:

1) Bad diode in alternator (hey, it happens even on new ones)

2) Bad ground, such that the line through the GEN light becomes a ground for
something.

------------------------------

From: PhinMan13@imcbbs.imcnet.net
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:43:03 -0300
Subject: 72 Cutlass Supreme

My name is Don Gundersen and I own a 72 Olds Cutlass Supreme with a 350
Rocket engine. I have a th350 tranny also. I love this car and would 
appreciate any help, you can provide in getting good NOS or aftermarket 
parts. My interior is almost complete . I would like info on a stencil 
kit for original style graphics.

My e-mail address is: 
DGunder165@aol.com

Thanks, 
Don Gundersen
 

------------------------------

From: Roger Saladin <rsaladin@bright.net>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 01:09:15 -0300
Subject: Re: Entombed Cars 

At 02:21 PM 4/10/96 -0300, you wrote:
>Article in the paper here this morning about a guy in Maine who uncovered 
>a '54 Corvette with a couple of thousand miles on it. It had been sealed 
>up in a "tomb" since the mid-50s when the original owner built a building 
>around it. Reportedly the lowest-mileage and most original '54 Vette in 
>the world (though I don't think I'd want to have to try and start it 

Interesting that I should see this. Just read the same (sorta) story in
the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette, except in this case it was in some
woman's living room(?) in Florida. Seems herfather had bought the Vette,
for some reason sealed it in a room in his grocery store, and when he died,
the new store owner wanted it moved. Ergo, it ended up in her living room,
then was purchased by a vette dealer in Napoleon, Ohio. Wonder how many of
those cars there are?

------------------------------

From: "Chris Brown Witt" <wittchri@pilot.msu.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 01:14:17 -0300
Subject: intake port sizes

I was assembling some engine tonite, decided to measure the intake port sizes
of a few items laying around...

info from                   Ht       Width   Area, in^2 -from bottom-from top
A5-22528212 intake [307?]   1.1875  1.375   1.63              0.75    0.6875
12-407565 intman '69?       1.875   1.25    2.34              0.5625  0.5625
68 #5 head                  2.000   1.3125  2.62              0.375   0.75
Edel. Torker 455 intake     2.3125  1.25    2.89              0.5     0.4375
'69 C head                  2.3125  1.313   3.04              0.4375  0.375
1971 G head                 2.375   1.375   3.27              0.375   0.375

 The numerous digits by no means imply that I laser-measured these things to
the 1/10000 inch- just fractions that the Mac imported at length- thankfully it
imported them at all, so I did not have to retype them...

Interesting that the G head has oh, 5% more area than the famed C head... and
TWICE the area of the 307?'s intake manifold ports...

Port width & height & area are pretty self-explanatory... port width seems to
vary the most, nearly 1/8" on some heads....

What I called "from bottom" and "from top" was measurements taken from the port
edge to:
Intake manifold- the edge of the casting plane that meets the head.
Head- Bottom= the edge of the casting plane that meets the intake, may or may
not be = the block-head interface. Top= to that little stepped machined in,
approx. where the top of the manifold's mating surface comes to...

It's all just for reference anyhow...


I was almost disappointed to find that the 425's deck clearances came out to
about 0.025-0.030" even after having the block decked. I told them to cut
0.005-0.010 off the block....
Wonder what the CR will calc to? Gasket seems to be 0.040 or more by 4.250
hole.

- --
Chris  B. Witt         *the* Rocket Scientist
wittchri@pilot.msu.edu

------------------------------

From: Bob0Barry@aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:23:47 -0300
Subject: Req. for help/advice: How to remove my dash from '72 Cutlass? 

This is a repost of a request that some people may have thought was going to
be yet another tedious story about my '72 Vista Cruiser (soon to be a Vista
"Crushed"). I promise there will be no more of *those* stories.

I'd like to remove the dash from the car, and would like advice from those of
you who have done this before.

First, I've removed four glorified speed nuts from the inside lower edge of
the plastic part of the dash, as well as two bolts from behind the instrument
surround, and that seems to have freed up most of the thing. I'm assuming
there is another nut on the other side of the glove box; will that be the
last one, or is there another lurking behind the glove box itself?

------------------------------

From: Bob0Barry@aol.com
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:41:09 -0300
Subject: Re: 72 Cutlass Supreme 

In a message dated 96-04-11 23:49:47 EDT, you write:

>My name is Don Gundersen and I own a 72 Olds Cutlass Supreme with a 350
>Rocket engine. I have a th350 tranny also. I love this car and would 
>appreciate any help, you can provide in getting good NOS or aftermarket 
>parts. My interior is almost complete . I would like info on a stencil 
>kit for original style graphics.

Nice car! Two catalogs that come to mind are Year One's (800) 950-9503 and
Paddock's (800) 428-4319 (East) or (800) 854-8532 (West). You'll also find
the parts through individuals and smaller dealers (who may or may not give
you better prices) through Hemming's Motor News.

And if you happen to have a blue interior, I know of a '72 Vista Cruiser with
an interior just waiting to find a good home... 

------------------------------

From: "Timothy A. Churchill" <tac3550@egbsun1.draper.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 08:52:08 -0300
Subject: Re: Entombed Cars

> From oldsmobile-owner@ccn.cs.dal.ca Wed Apr 10 16:04 EDT 1996
> >Anyone ever find an OLDS in such circumstances, or similar, like a barn 
> >under a pile of straw, etc., that was mint? Or any good urban legends 
> >about such things? Just curious.
> 
> 
> Funny you should ask...
> 
> Two years ago (Feb '94), my neighbor's father died.
> My neighbor knew that I was an old car fanatic with an interest in
> Oldsmobiles, and he casually mentioned that his father had had an older car
> that hadn't been started, let alone driven, for a least 8 years.  It
> had been parked in a garage and essentially ignored all this time. 
> 
> My neighbor is not at all a car person, and he was looking to sell this car,
> but he was worried that it wouldn't start because it had sat so long.  He also
> mentioned that he had no idea what it would be worth.  He
> mentioned that this car was an Oldsmobile Cutlass, but he wasn't sure of
> the year or much else about it.
> 

Though it wasn't in deep hibernation quite as long as the cases stated, my
Cutlass has a similar tale to tell...

In May of '92, I did four things of great significance:

1) Got married

2) Bought a new house

3) Got re-assigned to a new project at work

4) Sold my '78 Fiat 124 Spyder after a tempetuous 10 year relationship :)

1 & 2 have nothing to do with the following tale; however, 3 & 4 do.

During the 10 years I owned the Fiat, I considered it my summer car, though
several of my winter beaters were convertibles, like a '66 Plymouth Fury and
a '69 Ch*v*lle -- 'Blue Flame' 250 (barely :) ) powered.  In fact, since the
age of 19, at least one of my cars had always been a convertible.  May '92 was
the first time this was not the case, and I was going through top-down
withdrawals through the rest of the spring.

Then opportunity knocked.

A co-worker on my new project complained at lunch one day that his wife was
getting on his case to make room in their garage for their new Dodge Caravan,
by getting rid of the old car that he had parked there for the past four years.
I asked him what it was, and told me it was a '67 Olds Cutlass convertible
he had picked up 10 years earlier in SC.

I suddenly felt Fate leaning over my shoulder, watching the proceedings. :)
Nonchalantly, I said that if he ever decided to get rid of it, I wouldn't
mind a restoration project.  He just told me to follow him to his house that
evening, his wife had decided for him already :)

Got to his house, and there it was.  Tired red paint, mostly original except
where he tried to touch up some scratches.  Original red interior, cracks in
the upholstery in the front buckets & rear seats; but it was *all* there, the
chrome was complete and in nice shape, no dents.  Like Dan said of his
neighbor's father's car, solid with a capital S :) ...110K on the clock (OK,
10K, he told me 110, but given the condition of the car, I believed him :) )
A/C, Tilt & center console.  And 5 SS-I wheels.

Was there the next day w/ my friend (now my bro-in-law), a mechanic at the Olds
dealer in Wellesley.  We lifted the car up to see the floor & the frame...
totally solid, very little surface corrosion too.  My co-worker said it ran
when he drove it into the garage one fall, and fully intended to drive it out
in the spring.  He just never had the time to play with it after their first
child was born, and the two subsequent kids put a nix on any further work
on it, for him anyway.

We checked all the fluids, tried turning it over.  I was almost scared when it
fired up 30 seconds after we first turned a key :)

Drove it around the neighborhood... seemed fine.  Brakes worked, etc.

$1500 later, it was mine.  Slowly drove it the 40 miles to my house.

The rest is history :)

Tim Churchill
- -------------
'67 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible, a.k.a. 'Big Red'
'88 Cadillac Brougham, a.k.a. 'Big Blue' -- Olds 307 Powered!!
'91 Mazda Protege, a.k.a. 'The Next Car to be Replaced'

------------------------------

From: Charles A Rogers <roger035@gold.tc.umn.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 09:38:59 -0300
Subject: Re: Delta 88

Id like all the info you can give me.  I hope its not too much trouble. 
Thanks

------------------------------

End of oldsmobile-digest V1 #145
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